Page 65: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2019)

VOICES NICK BROWN, DIRECTOR OF MARINE AND OFFSHORE, LLOYD’S REGISTER what we believe will be prototype ves- LR research suggests that the cheap- as weather routing but these can only Digitalization has also enabled LR to sels, contracted and constructed in the est zero carbon fuels are going to be go so far. I believe the signi? cant introduce enhanced surveying practic- next decade. For such vessels to be vi- at least double the price of fuels today. gamechanger will be connecting the es using modern communication tools able, shipowners, and charterers need However, given societal expectations it ship to the shore, or the tanker to the and technology, such as live video to know that the fuel supply chain could be that the end customer is pre- terminal. We’re all aware that charter feeds and this greater ability to stream and land-based infrastructure will be pared to absorb the additional costs, parties do not make it easy for opera- high-quality images and video around in place to support their ? eets. They particularly when we consider the very tors to adjust speeds subject to arrival the world enables our surveyors to ac- will also need to have an idea of pric- fractional element that shipping cur- times in line with live conditions or cess the data they require in more reli- ing implications of new fuels. rently contributes to the end price of terminal congestion. This will change able ways, sometime without the need

And this is where I believe the indus- delivered goods around the world. with better connections and would re- to be onsite. We are therefore able to try can learn from other sectors and sult in not only signi? cant fuel costs provide support to owners, operators, engage much more proactively with savings for both charterer and ship- port state control etc. on a remote

The digitalization trend is also materi- government and other industry stake- owner, but also signi? cantly reduced basis, in many situations where un- ally impacting the way in which com- holders to ensure a level playing ? eld emissions. til very recently, physical attendance panies conduct their business at sea. exists in the transition to zero-emis- would have been required.

To start, what is the ‘reality on the sion vessels, one that doesn’t penalize street’? How is LR bene? ting from digitaliza- ? rst movers - and enables the industry Digitalization is primarily driven by tion? What is your biggest challenge in to move at the necessary pace to meet the larger companies, those with ? eets Digital enables us to see industry leading LR today?

2050 targets. of 50 or more vessels, with many of trends much quicker as we gather LR is a people organization. Change

In my view, one of the biggest ad- the solutions being developed consid- more data about the assets in our ? eet is necessary, but change isn’t necessar- vantages that the maritime industry ered critical to the company’s sustain- and the equipment onboard. Using ily comfortable for everybody. One of has is that we are globally regulated. able performance for the future. Many these insights, we are able to complete the biggest challenges I have experi-

That gives a huge advantage over are built in-house and are company the feedback loop that has existed for enced is making sure that colleagues many other hard to decarbonize in- speci? c to give competitive advantage. centuries much more quickly, so les- understand the reason for change and dustries such as steel manufacturing Looking more widely, there is a sons from new designs and how they that an environment of change is the or concrete. And clearly, global regu- common trend around operational are performing in service can be fed new norm. One also needs to reiterate lation by the IMO will be critical to ef? ciency – examples being voyage, back into the next generation of de- that change really provides more op- achieve the 2050 targets. speed and trim optimization as well signs at a much faster pace. portunities than it does risks.

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